Tommy Fleetwood is aiming to join a prestigious group of players as he bids to claim a third successive Nedbank Golf Challenge title in Sun City this week.
The Englishman first triumphed at Gary Player Country Club in 2019 before going on to defend his title in emotional fashion last year to extend his enviable record in ‘Africa’s Major’ and returns this year with a piece of history in his sights.
The 32-year-old now has the opportunity to join Tiger Woods and Sir Nick Faldo in an illustrious group of players to win the same event three times in a row on the DP World Tour.
Fleetwood will have to overcome a strong field in the penultimate event on the 2023 Race to Dubai if he is to emerge victorious, with an array of Major Champions, Ryder Cup players and DP World Tour winners teeing it up in South Africa.
Englishman Justin Rose, who was born in Johannesburg, returns to the Nedbank Golf Challenge for the first time in ten years and he will be joined by fellow Team Europe stars Nicolai Højgaard and Robert MacIntyre.
American duo Max Homa, the World Number Eight, and two-time Major winner Justin Thomas are teeing it up in South Africa for the first time in their careers and will look to become the first player from the United States to win Africa’s Major since Jim Furyk’s pair of victories in 2005 and 2006.
The Nedbank Golf Challenge carries an increased number of Race to Dubai Ranking Points as the climax of the 2023 season quickly approaches, with next week’s DP World Tour Championship containing the top 50 available players on the Race to Dubai.
Poland’s Adrian Meronk and New Zealander Ryan Fox, who currently lie third and fourth respectively on the Race to Dubai, are leading the fight for one of the ten PGA TOUR cards on offer for the 2024 season.
Player quotes
Tommy Fleetwood: “It’s always nice when you come back to somewhere where you have memories of getting on holes and you see good shots.
“You never really feel really comfortable on this course. But I guess when you’ve played well, you’re going to feel as comfortable as possible and having the experience coming down the stretch and winning is very, very important and nice to have. We’ll see. But it is nice.
“Ever since the first time I came, it’s got a very special feeling to it driving into the gates of Sun City and it’s such a historic event for a lot of us.
“For my generation I guess, and for people older and younger too, but I remember it as the Million Dollar Challenge and everything. It’s always had such a high value. And yet to be going for a third win seems pretty surreal, but we’ll see what we can do.”
Max Homa: “The whole week has been amazing. There has been a lot of kindness and a lot of smiles. Everyone has been very welcoming. People are saying thank you for coming to South Africa. I never thought that would be a common sentiment. Everyone is super excited for the golf tournament and it’s fun to be a part of that.
“The safari is life changing. I don’t know how I’m supposed to explain this to my friends and family. I would never do it justice. A running joke between Justin and I is that if I was a guide it would be all made up and just tremendously terrible. But it’s just so cool to spend some time away from the golf course and experience kind of what the world has to offer.
“When I was growing up, I watched this tournament and tons of DP World Tour events that I always wanted to play in. With the previous PGA TOUR schedule it would be wild to try and do this. You would have to battle jetlag from tournament to tournament. But now with a real off-season for us, I made it a point to play at least one over here. To be able to get a spot here and play has been a dream. Going forward, being able to do more of this would be a priority because you want to experience what golf at large has to offer and this has been a pretty special week so far.”
Justin Thomas: “It’s a global game and some of us are very fortunate to be in a position where we want to continue to try to grow it. If we can come here and inspire, whether it’s a couple of kids or a couple of adults, whatever it is, that’s a successful trip, and we’re fortunate to play in a great tournament on a great golf course in a great field while we’re doing it.
“I always have expectations of playing well but I also fully understand this has been far from normal preparation for a golf tournament, but that doesn’t mean I’m not taking it seriously. Yesterday wasn’t exactly what I wanted with the weather but made the most of it and today was a beautiful day. More than anything, traveling this far you just want to get your body feeling good and try to feel like you’re rested and get out there and hopefully see if I can get in a rhythm and get things going. Like anything you just have to salvage the best you can and see if you can make your way into contention.”
Adrian Meronk: “It’s great to be here. It’s like a reward for us for a good season. It’s only 60 guys so it’s always nice to play those events at the end of the year, so I’m excited to get going. The course looks fantastic, the weather is going to be great, so I’m sure it’ll be a fun week.
“It’s a tricky course to be honest. You have to get used to the grass and the altitude and the heat as well. The greens are tricky so the more rounds you play here, the easier it gets. It’s not easy but I think the experience pays off here. Hopefully, this year, I can improve on my result from last time.
“I’m probably going to do some more safari trips later this week. It’s amazing coming to places like this being able to do things like that. You’re not really able to do it anywhere else so whenever I come to Africa I try to do at least one safari. You can see the monkeys everywhere, it’s an unusual environment for us.
“It relaxes you, you can do other things. Sun City has a lot of things to offer, so it’s always fun to come here. Everyone brings their families, girlfriends, kids, it’s a fun week for everyone.”
Justin Rose: “I cannot believe it’s been ten years. Time does fly but coming back here, everything does feel so familiar still. It’s a very iconic, special place. I was obviously born in South Africa so it’s a country with something special for me. It hits a little different. It’s a magical spot and I’m just thoroughly enjoying it.
“I think they just do a really good job. We all like the golf course, it plays really well. It’s quite a tough golf course, offers good shot making, so I think we all feel like we’re here to play golf and the test in front of us is Championship worthy. Then we get off the golf course and you feel like you’re on holiday, so there’s a nice mix to the week. We’re coming to the end of the season and it’s the perfect place to come and visit. There’s a lot riding on the golf obviously, coming to the real business end of things on the DP World Tour but at the same time, everyone’s had a long year and you can find a couple of hours to yourself here where you can really recharge your batteries, which is great.”
